Nightlife in Egypt: What to Do at Night in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea

Nightlife in Egypt is lively, late and more varied than most visitors expect. In Cairo the streets are busiest after 22:00, with Nile dinner cruises, centuries-old cafes in Khan El Khalili, live music and rooftop bars; in Luxor and Aswan the evening belongs to temples lit up at night and sound and light shows; and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada have beach bars and clubs that run until the early morning.

Egyptians eat dinner late and go out later, especially in summer when the day is too hot. Our guides take guests out after dark in every city we work in; this guide sorts the options by place and gives the practical rules on alcohol, dress, Ramadan and getting home safely.

Cairo is the real night city of Egypt. Traffic eases after 21:00, families walk the Nile corniche, and cafes stay full past midnight.

Nile dinner cruises

A dinner cruise is the classic first night out: two hours on the Nile with a buffet, a belly dancer and a tanoura (whirling) dancer, while the lights of Zamalek and Garden City pass by. Boats leave from the corniche in Giza and Garden City. Choose a boat with an open upper deck so you can step out between the shows. Our dinner cruise on the Nile includes the transfers from your hotel.

Khan El Khalili and Al Moez Street

The old bazaar is at its best after dark. Shops stay open late, El Fishawy cafe has served tea and shisha in its mirrored alley for generations, and Al Moez Street beside it is lit from mosque to mosque and closed to cars. It is where Cairo families go out, so it feels safe and lively. Read our Khan El Khalili guide before you go.

Zamalek, Downtown and the rooftops

Zamalek, the island in the Nile, has the city's highest concentration of bars, restaurants and small music venues, plus hotel rooftops with views over the river. Downtown has older bars and cafes around Talaat Harb and the Cairo of the 1940s. New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed have modern malls and restaurant compounds that stay open late. Our guide to Zamalek lists the island's highlights.

Music, theatre and culture

• Cairo Opera House: opera, ballet, the Cairo Symphony and Arabic music concerts. A jacket is expected in the main hall. See our Cairo Opera House guide.
• El Sawy Culture Wheel: concerts of Egyptian bands under the 26th of July bridge in Zamalek; the best place to hear what young Egyptians listen to. Read about El Sawy Culture Wheel.
• Tanoura show: the Sufi whirling dance performed in historic buildings of Islamic Cairo several evenings a week. Arrive early for a seat.

Sound and light at the pyramids

Every evening the Giza pyramids and the Sphinx are lit for a sound and light show narrated in several languages. The official operator lists the ticket at USD 20 for an adult and USD 11 for a child aged 6 to 12 at the time of writing. The show is nostalgic rather than high-tech, but sitting in front of the Sphinx at night is worth it. Our sound and light show tour handles tickets and transfers.

Luxor is quieter than Cairo but has the most atmospheric evenings in Egypt.

• Luxor Temple by night: the temple stays open until 20:00 and is lit after sunset; the avenue of sphinxes and the colossi of Ramesses II look their best in the floodlights. Foreign adults paid EGP 500 at the time of writing.
• Karnak sound and light show: a walk through the temple at night followed by a seated show by the sacred lake (USD 20 adult on the official site). See our Karnak sound and light show tour.
• Felucca at sunset and dinner on the corniche: rooftop restaurants on the east bank look over the Nile to the Theban hills.

Most nights in Luxor end early, because the hot-air balloons and the Valley of the Kings start before dawn. Our article on how to spend a night in Luxor has more ideas.

Aswan's evenings are slow and beautiful. Walk the corniche and the souq, take dinner in a Nubian restaurant on the west bank with live drums and songs, or watch the sound and light show at Philae Temple, reached by boat after dark (USD 20 adult on the official site). Nile cruise ships moored in Aswan usually hold a Nubian or galabeya evening on board. The deluxe-class Lady Mary, for example, has a lounge bar for the evenings.

Sharm El Sheikh has the most international nightlife in Egypt.

• Naama Bay: the pedestrian promenade of restaurants, shisha cafes, bars and clubs along the bay; busy every night of the year.
• SOHO Square: an open-air entertainment complex near Sharks Bay with restaurants, a dancing fountain show, bowling and an ice rink.
• Old Market (Sharm El Maya): spices, souvenirs and local fish restaurants, best in the evening.
• Shows and desert evenings: the Alf Leila Wa Leila show, or a Bedouin dinner and stargazing in the desert outside town.

Hurghada's nightlife is spread along Sheraton Road, the New Marina and the hotel strip, with bars, beach clubs and a lively marina promenade. El Gouna, 25 km north, has the more stylish evening scene around Abu Tig Marina and its downtown, with bars, live music and lagoon-side restaurants. Many all-inclusive hotels have their own discos and evening shows, so plenty of guests never leave the resort.

Dahab's nightlife is the lighthouse promenade: cushions on the sand, live music in a few bars, the sea a metre away. In the Western Desert and in Sinai the night itself is the attraction: on a camping trip in the White Desert or near Saint Catherine, the sky away from city lights is full of stars.

Alcohol

Alcohol is legal in Egypt but sold only in licensed places: hotels, Nile cruise ships, many restaurants and bars in tourist areas, and specialist shops. Semramis II, for example, has two bars on board. Local beers and wines are cheaper than imported drinks. Drinking in the street is not acceptable, and many local cafes serve no alcohol at all: their nightlife runs on tea, fresh juice and shisha. Try the local drinks in our guide to popular Egyptian drinks.

Ramadan

During Ramadan the night is the best part of the day: after the sunset meal (iftar) the streets fill, tents and cafes stay open until the pre-dawn meal (suhoor), and Al Moez Street is at its most festive. Some bars close or stop serving alcohol for the month. Read suhoor places in Ramadan for where to go.

Dress

Clubs and rooftop bars in Cairo and the resorts expect smart casual dress. In the old city and local cafes, cover shoulders and knees. Our advice for women is in what to wear in Egypt as a female tourist.

Getting around and staying safe

• Use Uber or Careem in Cairo at night instead of street taxis; prices are clear and the ride is tracked.
• Carry a copy of your passport; some clubs and hotel bars ask for ID.
• Agree prices for shisha and drinks before ordering in tourist cafes.
• Busy places with families, like Al Moez Street and Naama Bay, are the safest late at night.

Our Cairo by night tour takes you through Islamic Cairo, Al Moez Street and the Nile with a local guide. For a first evening in the city, the Nile dinner cruise is the easy choice, and in Luxor the Karnak sound and light show is our favourite night out.

Does Egypt have good nightlife?

Yes. Cairo stays busy past midnight, and Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada have bars and clubs; Luxor and Aswan have quieter evenings with temples lit at night.

Can tourists drink alcohol in Egypt?

Yes, in licensed hotels, bars, restaurants and cruise ships. Drinking in public places is not acceptable.

Which Egyptian city has the best nightlife?

Cairo for culture, cafes and music; Sharm El Sheikh for clubs and beach bars.

Is it safe to go out at night in Cairo?

Busy areas like Zamalek, Downtown, Khan El Khalili and Al Moez Street are lively and generally safe late at night. Use ride-hailing apps to get back to your hotel.